A hybrid vehicle may include an electrical power source in addition to the internal combustion engine. In more detail, the hybrid vehicle may include a gasoline engine, fuel tank, electric motor, batteries, transmission, and electric generator. Various approaches to combining the electrical power source and the internal combustion engine are known, such as a parallel hybrid in which the engine and electric motor can both simultaneously drive the transmission and the series hybrid in which the engine drives the electric generator which charges the batteries or powers the electric motor to drive the transmission.
Some hybrid vehicles are configured to allow connecting the vehicle to an external electric power supply, that is, the hybrid vehicle may be plugged in for charging.
There are also battery electric vehicles that are fully powered by the electrical power source. The battery electric vehicle is configured to allow connecting the vehicle to an external power supply, that is, the battery electric vehicle may be plugged in for charging.
In the case of hybrid vehicles or battery vehicles of the type that may be plugged in for charging, the vehicle includes a charge port. A charge handle connects to an external electrical supply, with a cord or wire. In order to connect the vehicle to the external electrical power supply, the charge handle is received at the charge port (analogous to the way that a gasoline handle/nozzle at a gas station is received at the fuel filler port on a vehicle). The charge handle typically includes a latch mechanism for latching the charge handle to the charge port.
An existing latch mechanism has a top-mounted button or trigger mechanism, with a simple pivot design, to provide the latch/release mechanism. Other existing latch mechanisms also have a simple pivot design.
Background information may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,203,355; 5,417,579; 5,639,256; 6,283,781; and 5,556,284.